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Help please 1909 railroad presentation watch
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Dr7887
·Inherited know it was presented I think 1909 to a family member living in the Denver Colorado workong for the railroad I did locate it on pocket watch database re interior # and by fluke found a similar watch face online wondering possible value other knowledge someone may have I do think it may have historical significance cannot find anything similar online has relatives name on bar on chain and initials engraved on the back of the watch any thoughts help appreciated cheers!
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Canuck
·What have you found out about the watch? Please provide more information re: the railroad, whether the recipient was employed by the railroad that presented it, and if he was a railroad employee, what position did he (or she) hold. You don’t show the outside of the case back, but is it engraved? And if it is, please show the engraving. Is this a watch from your family?
I very much doubt that this watch would be considered to be railroad approved on any railroad in North America. Oh! And while you’re at it, please introduce yourself.
I very much doubt that this watch would be considered to be railroad approved on any railroad in North America. Oh! And while you’re at it, please introduce yourself.
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Dr7887
·What have you found out about the watch? Please provide more information re: the railroad, whether the recipient was employed by the railroad that presented it, and if he was a railroad employee, what position did he (or she) hold. You don’t show the outside of the case back, but is it engraved? And if it is, please show the engraving. Is this a watch from your family?
I very much doubt that this watch would be considered to be railroad approved on any railroad in North America. Oh! And while you’re at it, please introduce yourself.
Hi thanks for responding yes it was a family member of my deceased husband who worked for the railroad in Colorado I do not know his position at the time i may have been told but cannot recall I am Canadian too I will post the engraving in the am it's just tm his initials
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Dr7887
·D Dr7887Hi thanks for responding yes it was a family member of my deceased husband who worked for the railroad in Colorado I do not know his position at the time i may have been told but cannot recall I am Canadian too I will post the engraving in the am it's just tm his initials
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Dr7887
·I also know the Indian head 5 $ coin was part of it thus I think fully shows it was given in America?
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JimInOz
··Melbourne AustraliaI'm hung over with. covid, but it's Swiss movement by Valant Watch company in an American case. It's a very pretty watch but I don't think it has anything to do with railways except for being presented to a railway employee..
Google Valant Watch Movement for more info Mikrolisk etc.
Google Valant Watch Movement for more info Mikrolisk etc.
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Dr7887
·I'm hung over with. covid, but it's Swiss movement by Valant Watch company in an American case. It's a very pretty watch but I don't think it has anything to do with railways.
Google Valant Watch Movement for more info Mikrolisk etc.
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Canuck
·There are many features that railroad approved watches had to have, in order to be railroad approved.
By 1909, railroad approved watches needed:
- Bold black Arabic numerals against a white background.
- Bold, black hands.
- The number of adjustments regarding accuracy during manufacture, had to be engraved on the mechanism.
- The actual name of the manufacturer of the watch had to be marked on the movement. Later on, the name of the
maker had to be on the dial, as well.
- Only a limited number of Swiss made watches would have been approved for railroad use in Canada, (Brandt,
Omega, Longines, Zenith), and even fewer (if any) Swiss watches were railroad approved in the USA.
- Hand setting by the lever set method.
- By 1909 (approximately), the movement had to be marked “double roller”.
- Most railroads insisted on a minimum of 17-jewels. Yours has only 15-jewels.
- Karat gold cases would have been rarely used by railroaders. And few railroaders would engrave the watch.
- The coin fob doesn’t prove anything. I have an English coin on an English chain, fitted to an American watch.
- A railroad watch needed to be accurate to better than 30-seconds per week variation.
- Railroads rarely gave presentation watches, unless to someone very high in the executive branch. Railroaders
Mostly had to buy their own watches. Presentation watches were usually engraved to honour the recipient, and
were usually engraved with the occasion.
About the only features the subject watch has that a railroad approved watch needed is the patent regulator, and the temperature compensating balance wheel.
By 1909, railroad approved watches needed:
- Bold black Arabic numerals against a white background.
- Bold, black hands.
- The number of adjustments regarding accuracy during manufacture, had to be engraved on the mechanism.
- The actual name of the manufacturer of the watch had to be marked on the movement. Later on, the name of the
maker had to be on the dial, as well.
- Only a limited number of Swiss made watches would have been approved for railroad use in Canada, (Brandt,
Omega, Longines, Zenith), and even fewer (if any) Swiss watches were railroad approved in the USA.
- Hand setting by the lever set method.
- By 1909 (approximately), the movement had to be marked “double roller”.
- Most railroads insisted on a minimum of 17-jewels. Yours has only 15-jewels.
- Karat gold cases would have been rarely used by railroaders. And few railroaders would engrave the watch.
- The coin fob doesn’t prove anything. I have an English coin on an English chain, fitted to an American watch.
- A railroad watch needed to be accurate to better than 30-seconds per week variation.
- Railroads rarely gave presentation watches, unless to someone very high in the executive branch. Railroaders
Mostly had to buy their own watches. Presentation watches were usually engraved to honour the recipient, and
were usually engraved with the occasion.
About the only features the subject watch has that a railroad approved watch needed is the patent regulator, and the temperature compensating balance wheel.
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Canuck
·There are many features that railroad approved watches had to have, in order to be railroad approved.
By 1909, railroad approved watches needed:
- Bold black Arabic numerals against a white background.
- Bold, black hands.
- The number of adjustments regarding accuracy during manufacture, had to be engraved on the mechanism.
- The actual name of the manufacturer of the watch had to be marked on the movement. Later on, the name of the
maker had to be on the dial, as well.
- Only a limited number of Swiss made watches would have been approved for railroad use in Canada, (Brandt,
Omega, Longines, Zenith), and even fewer (if any) Swiss watches were railroad approved in the USA.
- Hand setting by the lever set method.
- By 1909 (approximately), the movement had to be marked “double roller”.
- Most railroads insisted on a minimum of 17-jewels. Yours has only 15-jewels.
- Karat gold cases would have been rarely used by railroaders. And few railroaders would engrave the watch.
- The coin fob doesn’t prove anything. I have an English coin on an English chain, fitted to an American watch.
- A railroad watch needed to be accurate to better than 30-seconds per week variation.
- Railroads rarely gave presentation watches, unless to someone very high in the executive branch. Railroaders
Mostly had to buy their own watches. Presentation watches were usually engraved to honour the recipient, and
were usually engraved with the occasion.
About the only features the subject watch has that a railroad approved watch needed is the patent regulator, and the temperature compensating balance wheel.
By 1909, railroad approved watches needed:
- Bold black Arabic numerals against a white background.
- Bold, black hands.
- The number of adjustments regarding accuracy during manufacture, had to be engraved on the mechanism.
- The actual name of the manufacturer of the watch had to be marked on the movement. Later on, the name of the
maker had to be on the dial, as well.
- Only a limited number of Swiss made watches would have been approved for railroad use in Canada, (Brandt,
Omega, Longines, Zenith), and even fewer (if any) Swiss watches were railroad approved in the USA.
- Hand setting by the lever set method.
- By 1909 (approximately), the movement had to be marked “double roller”.
- Most railroads insisted on a minimum of 17-jewels. Yours has only 15-jewels.
- Karat gold cases would have been rarely used by railroaders. And few railroaders would engrave the watch.
- The coin fob doesn’t prove anything. I have an English coin on an English chain, fitted to an American watch.
- A railroad watch needed to be accurate to better than 30-seconds per week variation.
- Railroads rarely gave presentation watches, unless to someone very high in the executive branch. Railroaders
Mostly had to buy their own watches. Presentation watches were usually engraved to honour the recipient, and
were usually engraved with the occasion.
About the only features the subject watch has that a railroad approved watch needed is the patent regulator, and the temperature compensating balance wheel.
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Dr7887
·There are many features that railroad approved watches had to have, in order to be railroad approved.
By 1909, railroad approved watches needed:
- Bold black Arabic numerals against a white background.
- Bold, black hands.
- The number of adjustments regarding accuracy during manufacture, had to be engraved on the mechanism.
- The actual name of the manufacturer of the watch had to be marked on the movement. Later on, the name of the
maker had to be on the dial, as well.
- Only a limited number of Swiss made watches would have been approved for railroad use in Canada, (Brandt,
Omega, Longines, Zenith), and even fewer (if any) Swiss watches were railroad approved in the USA.
- Hand setting by the lever set method.
- By 1909 (approximately), the movement had to be marked “double roller”.
- Most railroads insisted on a minimum of 17-jewels. Yours has only 15-jewels.
- Karat gold cases would have been rarely used by railroaders. And few railroaders would engrave the watch.
- The coin fob doesn’t prove anything. I have an English coin on an English chain, fitted to an American watch.
- A railroad watch needed to be accurate to better than 30-seconds per week variation.
- Railroads rarely gave presentation watches, unless to someone very high in the executive branch. Railroaders
Mostly had to buy their own watches. Presentation watches were usually engraved to honour the recipient, and
were usually engraved with the occasion.
About the only features the subject watch has that a railroad approved watch needed is the patent regulator, and the temperature compensating balance wheel.
Thank you for the info. I wish I had more knowledge about the initial owner perhaps I am wrong re thinking it is 1909 because of the coin attached do you think this watch has any value I did read some things online that said the standards were high re railroad watches.....I do know he did work for the rail road maybe it's a story re so many families tell and then the truth come out appreciate your guidance
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Dr7887
·Do the numbers or the gold mark tell anything about it re possible age
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Canuck
·There are some definites re: the watch. It is a watch. It is karat gold. There are some maybes re: the watch. It may have been presented to him, and possibly by the railroad he worked for. It has one or two features that a railroad approved watch would have needed in 1909. It could be a railroad presentation, but it is NOT a railroad approved, railroad grade watch!
None of the markings on the case give an age. Unless somebody who reads this has a date table from the case maker. Nothing on the movement tells the age. The coin attached tells nothing about the age of the watch.
None of the markings on the case give an age. Unless somebody who reads this has a date table from the case maker. Nothing on the movement tells the age. The coin attached tells nothing about the age of the watch.
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Dr7887
·There are some definites re: the watch. It is a watch. It is karat gold. There are some maybes re: the watch. It may have been presented to him, and possibly by the railroad he worked for. It has one or two features that a railroad approved watch would have needed in 1909. It could be a railroad presentation, but it is NOT a railroad approved, railroad grade watch!
None of the markings on the case give an age. Unless somebody who reads this has a date table from the case maker. Nothing on the movement tells the age. The coin attached tells nothing about the age of the watch.
I did Google original owners name I now think he worked in mining why I was told railroad no idea and with my husband deceased can't ask any questions oddly he was in that field too....for sure original owner lived and past in Colorado Denver area I did find some more info on pocket watch database this morning if it does have any historical value would hope to help that cause obviously wishing it's rare and i can retire lol not likely I do appreciate your help
